CN Railine Abandonment ("Northgate-Frobisher sub")

[toe]

Does any one know who owns the railbed of the now abandoned CN line starting at the US border. I believe the CN snuck out of paying any "grain dependent" line payment to the RM's through which it passed. I never or heard of any demand for even restoration of the mess left behind. It was hundreds of thousands of dollars left on the table.
There has been a question as to who currently owns the abandoned rail bed. It may have a substancial value for grain handling access to the US markets, crude oil and petroleum tank loading facilities; and purposes that have not yet crossed anyone's mind.
As I understood the process some year's ago; the local RM's were to receive title; and then nature trails or reversion to adjacent land owners could possibly evolve.
While writing this I just thought that a person can do a Land Titles search; and see who owns the former rail line right of way.
It's free for this basic info; and as long as they don't have your credit card you won't get some nasty and expensive costs charged to the enquirer.

[toe]

pars will be proud of me.

The good old CNR still has its name on the railbed (for all the parcels I've checked so far.) There might be some question as to how long a railway can retain ownership after removal of all the ties, rails and markers. Its quite possible the CN is obliged to turn title over to the RM. Any experts out there with knowledge on this matter?
It looks like Corus Land Holding is paying pretty good money for 98.09 acres for a declared value of $106,000 and pieces of the adjacent quarter for $69,900, $48,300 and $4350. The 2007 assessment for the $106,000 was less than $17,000. The RM hamlet property is reportedly at the lawyer's stage; and I guess ratepayers missed the tender process. Details are extremely scarce. Everyone must have been sure that there was no interest locally or anywhere else in the world.

But without public disclosure and a request for offers its going to be very difficult to show that the taxpayers got anything approaching what this property might be worth. open o

[toe]

The Farmland Security Board has granted a Farm Ownership Exemption Order for up to 8 quarters of land for the construction of a "facility" to "Corvus" in the RM Enniskillen #3. This is non-resident or non Canadian entity.
You would have thought that it would have triggered the zoning bylaw, development permits etc. but then again maybe life is made less difficult depending on who you are and whom you deal with.


Exemption File 11-CR-0480
Oct 18,2011

I smelled something big.

[toe]

I can't get any additional "hits" for Corvus Land Holding Corp on google. That's the name the group used to register title to the Lands they have acquired on Dec. 29/2011

Any detectives out there.

[sumdumguy]

Corvus Capital from South Africa? If RM s were
smart they would keep the section that goes
through them, to generate revenue for the
ratepayers.

[checking]

So sorry. It is Corus Land Holding Corp. I see they are in the Sask Gazette, but have yet to run across anything other than the FarmLand Exemption order from the Board.

[poorboy]

CN has been in the process of abandoning a rail line near me.

They first must advertise two years ahead that they are going to abandon their interest in operating the line.

Then 2 years later, they must entertain serious offers that would keep the rail line operational.

If there is no deal reached, then the line is offered to the different levels of government. It does have a salvage value and CN is expecting to be paid.

If the governments (provincial or municipal) are not interested, it is sold to a salvage company. If the rail is of good strength and condition it has huge resale value for areas of the US and Mexico where they are still building new railways.

Not sure if CN still gets taxed until everything is sold or not.

Process takes years.

[monte]

You would think they would hold on to north
south lines now until we see where the wheat
moves in the post cwb era. I think more wheat
will go to the USA when there are people
marketing.

[toe]

Anyone have any ideas about what "facility" onwed by a non-Canadian entity would require two sections of land on both sides of an abandoned rail line; and situated smack on the 49th parallel.

Looks like a brand new holding company that has absolutely no track record.
My guess is its total speculation and there are no firm plans yet. It has direct North-South access to the US and proximity to red hot US Bakken oil play; and grain terminal, rail oil terminal, customs/port access possibilities.

But two sections of land that has to be developed by 2016 seems to leave excess room for any possibility; and thus they may not have any firm committments.

[JACKFLASH]

toe you probably know CN has reserected the rail siding at Willmar to ship oil. They ship a pile,it goes all the way to Emerson, then goes south to florida. It would be a more direct route to Northgate. CN would have direct competion with the Sooline.

[toe]

Jackflash... thank you for the info and connecting the dots .. The pieces all fit together if you have more data. If you could get a copy of the "Pipeline News" paper from a couple of weeks ago you could see a fairly lenghty article about the RM of Browning's feelings on the imminent destruction of their road system from such rail terminal oil traffic. They are talking really tough about heavy road users and even CN's necessay contribution to strengthening roads. Lots of luck getting a red cent from CN and the railways.
As for pavement and heavy traffic; last year the RM's argued that new pavement surface at well over one million per mile would divert such traffic off all the other roads. Now pavement can't stand heavy traffic and municipalities are looking for direct contributions and financing from the road users. When 88% of a poorer adjoining RM's tax base revenue comes from commercial and oil based sources it makes you wonder if farmers even have any moral right to totally control the shots from council chambers. Has anyone given that though a rough consideration? And guess what. Oil companies are catching on and being educated that they are the "sugar daddies"; the drivers of properity and jobs as well as the liability that councils consider them to be. I look foward to their involvement at council chambers in the future. They will make excellent additions to the knowledge base; and silently force those who remain untrained; and don't fully comprehend that whining about "thankless jobs" just isn't relevant.

Then I hear that the reeve of that same municipality may have just "retired". See too if the reeve of an adjoining RM wants to keep his job this fall. Remember all council members will have a 4 year stint from now on. How many foreman's jobs will be up for grabs as they age and wear out like the rest of us. Their skills are appreciated and compensated much better outside of "public service" jobs; in a booming economy that is about to turn into a full explosion.
How will the new required "Community long range vision/plans be prepared". They are worth upward of $60,000 each and are considered essential for any municipality which plans to grow and prosper the future. Will the "Economic Development" officers even stick around when they tire of dragging Councils who don't "Get it". What fraction of ratepayers have even the first clue about anything I have just said? And more importantly, does everyone want to know?

[toe]

And if commercial taxpayers don't exercise their rights; don't forget the possibility of some intelligent,progressive women getting tired to Municipal faults. That one will hit the establishment like a good sound two by four.

[toe]

The CP rail oil loading facility within the extremely poor choice of location has doomeEstevan City limits appears to be running into the stiffest opposition. Its doomed; but the CPR will stonewall to the very end.
Crescent point probably has the new "20 million" terminal on the Stewart rail shortline. Is it CN or CP that goes as far as Stoughton that joins with this line?
If CN is out manoevering CP on rail oil hauling; then this race will really heat up.

[toe]

I've been thinking of the expertise and knowledge that we are all missing because some of the readers of this forum might not also be regularly contributing their posts. Everyone please consider sharing the information that they have learned so that we may all become a little more enlightened.
Is it not infinately better to have your public written statements and opnions discussed than have baseless viscious drivel passed around at the local watering holes and coffee shops.

[toe]

Some of the rest of the story is that no one from the RM Enniskillen will/can give any details. And that includes the councillor for the division that includes the largely abandoned hamlet of Northgate Sask. No one apparently knows how many lots the RM has accumulated through unpaid taxes, but its probably safe to say that an unknown offer amount (to someone whose name will not be repaeted) has been entertained (behind some closed doors); and that offer is in the "lawyers hands". I don't think there was any tender or disclosure of intent to offer for sale etc. by the RM.
This might be real interesting. Since Corus Land Holding Corp had to get Sask Farmland Security Board approval to purchase up to 8 quarters of Farmland; what kind of approval do you need for a "non-Canadian entity" to potentially buy a hamlet (that coulddevelop into a village or even a town). The Land Titles (ISC) plan shows a suprisingly large area (maybe 25 or more acres) of surveyed lots within SE6 1-2-W2 and into the SW6-1-2-W2 right up to the CNR Railbed property. It is quite impressive. Remember that Corus asked for a facility.
There is also the possibility that the RM property lots are being sold to someone other than Corvus, since they might well have needed permission to effectively buy a potential town. Maybe some middlemen will get reimbursed in some way.

And no one on council appears to have any intention of declaring or advertising their interest or relationship to any of the land on either side that would adjoin the CNR railbed property all the way back to the old Elcott elevator site at grid 603. I will certainly leave everyone to draw their own conclusions; but I hope it is safe to say that if council members have not been careful they could have left open the perception that a conflict of interest was possible.
I will point out that the first 8 quarters north of the 49th parallel that adjoin the CNR rail bed go all the way just past the former Elcott elevator siding; and there you have the hub of #9 highway and Grid 603 all converging at that point.


Look on Google Earth, consult Land Titles (ISC) and especially RM maps for your details. Join the dots yourself too.
There is also reported to be what looks to be a pipe yard and short conveyors on new construction adjacent to CN rail beds at Bienfeit.
That all ties in with the possibility of again rebuilding the CNR link to join Willmar, Bienfeit, and Corus facility directly to Northgate ND USA.
And finally for this post; one of my sources within the oil industry says there is speculation that a new gas processing plant facility is possible in the area. With gas prices plummeting; that doesn't automatically mean that there isn't even more money to be made in processing at a gas plant. Lots of room on 8 quarters for all that and more.

But its pretty hard to be involved when treated like mushrooms; and apparently we are only supposed to support and buy into a long term plan and vision for the future that develops directly from residents within the Town of Oxbow, the RM and I suppose the two hamlets which includes Northgate.